Agenda item

Report of the Director of Children and Young People’s Futures, (CS/24/10) on proposals for Residential Short Break Provision for Children with Disabilities - Robins Provision, attached.

An impact Assessment is also attached for the attention of Members at the meeting and is available on the web at - Published Impact Assessments - Impact Assessment (devon.gov.uk).

(Councillors Dewhirst, Leaver and Whitton attended in accordance with Standing Order 25(2) and spoke to this item).

(Councillor Samuel declared a personal interest in this matter due to potential future involvement in staying close provision and left the meeting for its consideration).

RESOLVED

(a) that the Council’s continued operation of residential short break and 52-week provision at Robins Children’s Home, onwards, from 31st March 2024, be approved; and

(b) that the movement of £2 million budget from independent placements for children in care, as a result of this policy change, be endorsed.

(Councillors Dewhirst, Leaver and Whitton attended in accordance with Standing Order 25(2) and spoke to this item).

(Councillor Samuel declared a personal interest in this matter due to potential future involvement in staying close provision and left the meeting for its consideration).

(Councillor Dewhirst declared a personal interest in this matter by virtue of being a trustee of a school that had a childrens home).

The Cabinet considered the Report of the Director of Children and Young People’s Futures (CS/24/10) on proposals for Residential Short Break Provision for Children with Disabilities - Robins Provision, circulated prior to the meeting in accordance with regulation 7(4) of the Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Meetings and Access to Information) (England) Regulations 2012.

The Cabinet noted that in July 2023, following a Requires Improvement Ofsted rating, the independent provider (Lifeworks) issued 3 months’ notice for the termination of their provision of Short Breaks and 52 weeks placements within Robins Children’s Home. The Council had negotiated with Lifeworks to take over the provision and bring it within the specialist Children’s Homes portfolio as the option of least risk in the short term. In November, the Council took interim responsibility for operations aiming to provide a mix of full-time and respite placements, and incrementally recruit staff and scale the service up to 8 beds, until 31 March 2024.   

The Report sought approval for the operation of the service to remain within the Council’s specialist Children’s Homes portfolio. The building was currently underutilised and had the potential to offer up to 8 beds, with a combination of 52-week placements and overnight respite beds. The four other homes within the portfolio had all recently be inspected by Ofsted and rated Good and they were integral to Devon’s residential short breaks offer to children with complex disabilities and their families (Welland House (Barnstaple) 5 beds, Meadowpark (Exeter) 4 beds, Hillcrest (Honiton) 3 beds and Barnes (Tiverton) 2 bed and a 52-week placement, with planned increases to the room capacity for Welland and Barnes.

The addition of the service at Robins, would allow for a mixed economy of quality assured support offers and a more equitable spread across the County that prevented children from coming into care.

The Cabinet noted that since DCC took over Robins, significant remedial and development work was undertaken, at pace, to transition and establish the service in accordance with in-house requirements. The service had stabilised and since November, there had been 3 full time residents at Robins and 8 young people have had a Short Break and families had expressed positive feedback to the service.

The proposal aligned with a range of the Strategic Plan priorities which related to achieving the best outcomes for children and young people in Devon. In addition, the ‘Short Breaks Commissioning Strategy 2021 – 2025’ sat with the overarching SEND Strategy and the Short Breaks provision at Robins contributed to the SEND Transformation Programme, ensuring children who required specialist support were able to access vital offers which helped families to better cope and remain together. This prevented an escalation of needs and costs arising from inadequate provision and mitigating unintended pressure on residential schools as the only alternative for an overnight stay in the Southwest of the County.

The revenue costs to run Robins in-house in 24/25 were estimated at between £1.9 and £2.1 million.  The detailed costings had been modelled on two different staffing models and a range of possible occupancy levels. This cost is also net of assumed income from regional partners in Torbay and Plymouth.

If Robins closed, the estimated cost of placing children with independent providers was £2.8 million; which was £0.7 to £0.9 million more than operating Robins in-house. The table in the Report showed the weekly cost of operating Robins compared to the benchmarked cost provided by statistical neighbours in Somerset and the cost of placing children in unregistered provision:

However, there were risks associated with the approach to setting a revenue budget for Robins, which were outlined in paragraph 7.9.

An impact Assessment had been circulated for the attention of Members at the meeting and was available on the web at - Published Impact Assessments - Impact Assessment (devon.gov.uk). This highlighted the benefits related to bringing the service in-house, including, increased partnership working between teams and with health colleagues, and greater control over the specialist support offered.

In summary, the recommendation proposed provided the highest level of confidence in the effective delivery of quality and sustainable services which were critical to the fulfilment of the Improvement Plan. It further avoids the estimated £2.8 million revenue costs associated with closure of the current service, reputational damage and unintended consequences, including pressure on children with SEND. It also ensures continued provision (at maximum capacity) of Short Breaks and 52 weeks residential services within South Devon.

The matter having been debated and the options and alternatives and other relevant factors (e.g. financial, sustainability and carbon impact, risk management, equality and legal considerations and alignment with the Council’s Strategic Plan) set out in the Director’s Report having been considered:

it was MOVED by Councillor Leadbetter, SECONDED by Councillor Hart, and

RESOLVED

(a) that the Council’s continued operation of residential short break and 52-week provision at Robins Children’s Home, onwards, from 31st March 2024, be approved; and

(b) that the movement of £2 million budget from independent placements for children in care, as a result of this policy change, be endorsed.